Family links to the Battle of Britain?

[Siko]

I thought to lighten the mood whilst we await the inevitable announcement, that some of us on here may have some interesting family links to the BoB.

I'll start with a fairly tenuous one - my English grandfather was an RAF engineer and used to fill in the craters on his airfield inbetween fixing the aircraft. My great uncle was Austrian and was dropping them from his bomber! Sadly killed in 1943 in an accident.

My English grandfather's claim to fame was that he Destroyed more aircraft than the highest scoring Luftwaffe ace - his last job in the RAF was in north Africa where he had to scrap obsolete bombers. He used to connect his tractor to one plane and drive flat out under the wing of another one, writing both off!

[Novotny]

My battles in Britain are admittedly still somewhat on the periphery of the 'Luftschlacht um England' but are nonetheless gallant and of essential importance. Space and humility prevent me from listing many of my most glorious attacks unfortunately, but I can tell you that in my most recent assault on London, for instance, I tutted audibly twice when made to wait for service in an hostelry, cutting the publican to the quick and wounding the entire borough. And on the very next morning I rang my mother and whilst conversing, effortlessly blanked the room service. I could tell from my mother's tone that she was blanking the room service too, and that lent a pan-generational, dynastic feel to the melee. By lunchtime I had sneered in Marylebone, pooh-poohed in Mayfair and been entirely unimpressed with Green Park. Lunch itself inspired a grievous wounding to the West End and propelled me onwards to the day's much longed-for skirmish in Holborn.

[Skoshi Tiger]

Unfortunately I know of no links between my family and the Battle of Britain, except my father and his sisters and brothers ran away from a boarding school near Duxford in the late 20's and behaved so badly that they were sent back to Australia.

I think at around the time of the Battle of Britain my father was training to go to Syria and fight the Evil French!

Cheers!

[SsSsSsSsSnake]

one of my polish customers was a pilot in the BOB,but thats as close as i get

[brando]

My mother was married to a Hurricane pilot who died in the English Channel in mid-1940.

[TheSwede]

My father´s wife´s ex father in law was a Spitfire pilot during the BoB.

I know its not quite family but my step mother is still very close to her ex husbands parents so I´ll mention it anyway. As a Swede its very unlikely to have any connections to the fighting war but its something.

[slick118]

My Grandfather was a Spitfire pilot during the war. He flew with 243 squadron taking part in the Battle for Malta, the invasion of Sicily and the subsequent invasion of Italy, although he hadn't completed his training early enough to take part in the Battle of Britain.

There was a rumour, however, that he was reprimanded for "beating up" the Thames suggesting he was actively flying around the London area. Not sure when this was though.

He remained in the RAF until the sixties, training pilots on meteors with 74 squadron.

Sadly he died 2 months before I was born so I never got to meet him.

[xnomad]

The closest I can come is:

An 'aunt' (my Mum's best friend ) of mine's father was with JG 2 Richthofen. He was later shot down over France sometime after the BoB by a Spitfire. He took a bullet to the head. Apparently he disliked flying the bf 109. That's all I know.

Some collector, (or was it a veteran?) of JG 2 items came around years later and bought all the paraphernalia and uniforms from my aunt's mother. A real shame I'd have loved to have seen them, or got my mitts on them .

Incidentally a neighbour in her street is a von Richthofen and is related to the famous Baron.

[Novotny]

Slick188, xnomad: thanks for your posts.

[DefiantMk1]

My great-uncle Geoffrey Pledger was a gunner in a Defiant for 141 Squadron during BoB...He died when his plane crashed in April 1941, presumably during landing.

I'll try to post an image up on one of those free sites someday soon.